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Skadi

In Norse mythology, Skadi is a mountain giantess, wife ot the Vanir god Niord and thus a goddess herself.

When the gods killed her father Thjazi, she journeyed to Asgard to avenge him, but then she agrees that she would have that renounced if they allowed her to choose a husband among them and if they succeeded in making her laugh.

The gods allowed them to choose a husband, but she had to choose him only from his feet; she choose Niord because his feet were so beautiful that she though he was Baldur. Then Loki succeeded in making her laugh, so peace was made, and Odin made two stars from Thjazi's eyes.

After a while, she and her husband separated, because she loved the mountains (Thrymheim), while he wanted to live near the sea (Noatun). The Ynglinga saga says that later she became wife of Odin, and had many sons by him or she left Niord for Ull.

She is the goddess who tied the serpent above Loki's body when he was bounded to the three rocks; this is a footnote to the poem in the Elder Edda, Lokasenna.

She is called "Öndurgodh" and "Öndurdis", "Ski goddess".

Her name could mean "damage" or "goddess of the underground world".

Alternative: Skaoi



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